Bernie Blomquist named Director of Training at Cruise Lines International Association

29 September 2011

Bernie Blomquist, a familiar figure among cruise selling travel agents across the United States and Canada, has been named Director of Training at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) where he has played a leadership role in developing CLIA’s training and Certification programs for the last 11 years.

Bernie Blomquist, a familiar figure among cruise selling travel agents across the United States and Canada, has been named Director of Training at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) where he has played a leadership role in developing CLIA’s training and Certification programs for the last 11 years.

“Bernie has been instrumental in positioning CLIA as an industry leader in travel agency educational and professional development,” said Bob Sharak, CLIA’s executive vice president. “All of us look forward to his continued success and congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion.”

Blomquist joined CLIA in 2000 as Manager of Training Development. His varied responsibilities included the scheduling of training seminars for organizations seeking advanced sales and marketing skills; assisting in the development of new classes and videos for CLIA’s ever-expanding roster of training courses, and overseeing the association’s Cruise Counsellor Certification Program. In his new role as Director of Training he will have responsibility for a multi-faceted program that encompasses classroom, online and video training, a full range of educational materials, cruise3sixty seminars and CLIA’s traveling seminar series called TrainingFest, as well as ongoing development of partnerships with educational institutions such as the University of Phoenix, and many other opportunities for training and professional development.

Before joining CLIA, Blomquist held various sales and marketing positions in the airlines, cruise lines and tour companies, including National Airlines, Pan American World Airways, Regency Cruises, Premier Cruise Lines, Club Med and North Atlantic Tours. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics from Wagner College and graduate studies towards a Masters degree in Marketing Management from St. John’s University, both in New York.